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A Different Kind of Social Group (Press Release)

February 1, 2011

Young adults in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham looking for an active and exciting social will be intrigued to learn about a different kind of social group: PLUS. Plus is a part of a national network of similar groups who organise social events for their members – from simple nights out, to weekends away, and even holidays abroad. However there is one major twist: all events are organised by the members themselves.

Barking & Dagenham Plus’ chairwoman, Miss Gemma Crader, 21, said:

“I first joined for the partying and so I could meet new friends here and from all over the country. What I discovered was this great bunch of people who organise professional quality events – and they’re able to do so because of all the support that the organisation gives us. Plus has done wonders for both my social life and my self-confidence.”

The local branch of PLUS meets every Tuesday evening in the function room of the White Horse, High Road, Chadwell Heath, from 9pm. We are always interested in new membership enquiries. For more details, please phone Joe on 07958 669339, or visit our website: barkingdagenhamplus.wordpress.com

B&D Plus now on Twitter, Facebook

January 29, 2011

Barking & Dagenham Plus is now on both Twitter and Facebook. By following us you will be able to receive updates from this blog.

You can also receive updates via RSS or via email. Please see links on the right.

Events Page Now Up

January 29, 2011

The Events page has now been updated, and includes details of what Barking & Dagenham are planning on getting up to over the next six months and beyond.

The calendar is being constantly updated – more events will be added after our next programme planning meeting, as well as as and when we are told about them.

Barking & Dagenham Plus

January 28, 2011

This is the new web presence of Barking & Dagenham Plus. This is still in the process of being set up – so check back shortly!

Plus Charity Walk 2009 (Press Release)

September 26, 2009

Last Saturday members of Thurrock Plus and Barking & Dagenham Plus went on a sponsored walk to raise money for Richard House, a children’s hospice in Beckton. Richard House provides care and support for life-limited children and children with complex healthcare conditions and their families.

Nine members of PLUS took part in the walk, which started from Barking Station, and ended up at The City Pavillion in Collier Row – a distance of six miles. Barking & Dagenham member Richard Leach reported: “Between us we have raised over £500 through sponsorships. We have even had spontaneous donations from members of the public who were impressed with our charitable efforts.”

Members of Barking & Dagenham Plus at the start of the walk.

PLUS is a social, sporting and leisure organisation for young people aged 18 to 35. In addition to charitable and voluntary work, members of PLUS regularly meet up socially and also to go on holidays. Thurrock Plus meets at The Ship, Dock Road, Grays from 9pm onwards: we always welcome new membership enquiries. For more information please contact Joe on 07958 669339.

Kings Lynn Midsummer Christmas Party

July 19, 2009

This weekend we went to Tottenhill, near Kings Lynn, for Kings Lynn Plus’ “Midsummer Christmas Party.” (sic) Yes! For some bizarre reason, Kings Lynn Plus decided to hold a Christmas Party in the middle of July! Even Santa Claus turned up, which delighted everyone, except Keith Israel, KL Chairman, who was mysteriously absent whilst Santa was in the building. There were over 60 Plussers there in total – apparently there were even more than last year.

During the middle of the day, there was also the National Rounders 2009, which was one (for the second year running) by a team captained by Matt Bonar of Midlands Area.

On a slightly more serious note, for one Plusser it was an actual Christmas party. Lorraine Whiting of Havering was forced to miss Christmas 2008 owing to being in hospital: however her fellow Plussers welcomed her return to health by showering her with presents this weekend.

Area Quiz 2009

February 28, 2009
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To Barking Pool Club this evening, for the first ever Anglia & South East Area Quiz! It was ably run by Pete Newson and Richard Leach. There were thirty four people there, including visitors from Barnet, Slough, Windsor & Eton, and even Leeds. The first team from Redbridge won the evening.

In a bizarre development, we realised that a strange contraption which we thought was meant to enable disabled access was actually a device for lifting beer barrels! Oh well, we will sort this out when the next quiz takes place next year.

Barnet Disco

February 7, 2009

Down in this part of the country, the snow from earlier in the week had just about all melted by the weekend, so it came as a surprise to me to venture into deepest Hertfordshire to find it laying all about, deep and crisp and even. It was the occasion of the Barnet Disco, which this year was themed on the 1920s.

Now at this point one has to ask, why? The records in the DJ’s collection didn’t reach that far back! Actually it turned out to be an excuse for people to dress up as flappers, and gangsters.

Anyway, we all had a good time. Your humble blogmaster would just shamelessly abuse his position to say hello to Natalie, a young lady from Stevenage that I met there. 😀

Avenue Q

January 17, 2009

Today we went to see Avenue Q at the Noel Coward Theatre in London’s West End. We went as a large party with members of Barking & Dagenham Plus. Gemma Crader of B&D organised it.

Despite this being a very rude show, it has a definite moral centre – i.e. the good end happily, and the bad don’t. I have thus recommended that several people go watch it in order to get an idea of how to behave properly. (This is another way of calling them muppets, although I don’t tell them that).

Harrods Trip

December 13, 2008

Today yours truly and another stalwart Plusser braved the freezing cold wind and rain to venture up to Harrods in London for some Crimbo shopping. On first arriving we decided to browse the Food Hall, where a lady behind the delicatessen counter was handing out very tiny samples of Foie Gras (well it did cost £26 for 100g!). I took two. “I was planning to give that to someone else!” she said as I accidentally picked up the second bit. Oops!

We then looked round the Wine and Spirits section. I saw a nice bottle of champagne going for £315 (see below).
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However this was as nothing compared to the spirits within. There were bottles of brandy costing several thousand pounds, but the most expensive was a 1938 Single Malt which cost a whopping £8000. A helpful staff-member nearby was giving out free samples – although when I investigated they were from a bottle of £22 Malt Whisky, not the £8000 bottle. He admitted to me that since the credit crunch there were fewer people paying £8000 for a bottle of whisky. I also saw a very old bottle of port with a very tatty label, going for over £300. “Pah!” I thought, “If I am going to pay more than £300 for a bottle of Port, the least they could do is put a proper label on it!”

After picking up a few bits and bobs from other departments, we called it a day. I must say though that there were Xmas hampers going for 50% off. That’s almost as much as a discount as you can get at Woolworths!